Encouraging individuals to combat the dehumanised, sensationalist view of asylum seekers portrayed by the Australian mainstream media.

Blog Action Day 2013 – Human Rights Edition.

Today is Blog Action Day. Started in 2007, the purpose of Blog Action Day (BAD) is to unite bloggers all across the world to blog about one important topic. This year, that topic is Human Rights. For RTB, the timing couldn’t be better.

For Blog Action Day, I thought I’d post something explaining where my passion for this cause comes from. Ignorance has always been an enemy of mine. Nothing frustrates me more than closed-minded people who approach what they do not understand with hate and hostility rather than empathy and compassion. This is probably what inspired me to begin a Social Work degree.

When I began that degree, my passion for Human Rights, in particular relating to international relations and refugees and asylum seekers only intensified. However, halfway through my second degree I came to the conclusion that as an intensely emotional and fragile person, a career in social work probably wouldn’t be the best thing for me. I don’t seem to have the ability to separate work from home, so I changed degrees to Media Production. I knew that change would be better for me in the long run, and I wouldn’t suffer the dreaded social worker burnout in just a few short years.

As a hater of mainstream, sensationalised media, I hope to have a career that involves combatting that type of reporting with informed, accurate, respectful media that doesn’t gain attention through the dehumanisation or humiliation of any people.

I am particularly inspired by organisations like Amnesty International, Oxfam and UNICEF, and the type of reporting portrayed on the ABC and SBS. Factual, interesting news that respects human rights and endeavours to provide news more important than the old ‘I slipped on a grape in Woolworths’ or ‘How much sugar is really hiding in your cereal’ stories often featured in mainstream current affairs and news programs.

Anyway – that’s the story of my passion. What’s yours? What makes your blood boil? What inspires you to make a change in the world? Comment and tell me about your passion!

The media plays such a significant role in shaping the thoughts and opinions of the public and this power is often abused. This is particularly the case within the context of Australian media where our media ownership is one of the most concentrated in the world, owned primarily by either News Corp or Fairfax Media. It’s great to see someone who saw a void in our media landscape, and is doing something about it.

What makes my blood boil is growing research that suggests despite the increase in Australians who believe that they are responsible for helping those less fortunate, the levels of charitable giving are shocking – particularly among the high-net worth individuals. Australia’s an amazing nation but our ‘tall poppy syndrome’ is something I am not proud of.